In partnership with
Good Morning, Washington Nationals fans.
Here are your Washington Nationals Morning headlines, news, analysis, and more for Thursday, October 9, 2025.
Welcome to the new and improved Morning Briefing. For even more in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes insights, and access to our offseason coverage, become a Nats Report+ subscriber today. We’re running a special 50% off sale on all plans — monthly, quarterly, and annual — so you can follow every move and every decision that shapes the Nationals’ future.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up!
Looking for unbiased, fact-based news? Join 1440 today.
Join over 4 million Americans who start their day with 1440 – your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. From politics to sports, we cover it all by analyzing over 100 sources. Our concise, 5-minute read lands in your inbox each morning at no cost. Experience news without the noise; let 1440 help you make up your own mind. Sign up now and invite your friends and family to be part of the informed.
How to make sure The Nats Report shows up in your Google search!
As many of you are likely aware, Google searches are well different these days.
The good news is Google is offering a solution for folks who like to get their news from specific sources. If you want to help The Nats Report — while also streamlining all your Google searches — there is now a way.
Simply click on this link and add The Nats Report as one of your “Source preferences.” That’s all there is to it!
Back in August, Google debuted a feature called “Preferred Sources.” It’s a way for Google to prominently feature the results from websites you trust, like The Nats Report:
“With the launch of Preferred Sources in the U.S. and India, you can select your favorite sources and stay up to date on the latest content from the sites you follow and subscribe to — whether that’s your favorite sports blog or a local news outlet. …”
When you select your preferred sources, you’ll start to see more of The Nats Report articles prominently displayed within Top Stories, when those sources have published fresh and relevant content for your search.
We’ve worked hard at The Nats Report to build a brand you can trust and rely on for Washington Nationals coverage. Our goal is to serve you, the fans.
If you’re a fan of our work and want to get the best Nationals coverage possible, this is an excellent win-win to improve your Google searches while helping The Nats Report out.
⚾ Welcome to the new Morning Briefing
Same mission. New engine. Built for 2026.
We’re not starting over — we’re leveling up.
Starting today, The Nats Report Morning Briefing launches with a sharper format, built for the Toboni era and the 2026 rebuild. You’ll still get the inside news, analysis, and access you trust — now delivered with more structure, more insight, and more urgency.
Here’s what’s new:
Dugout Dispatch — Your 3-sentence snapshot of the biggest story.
The Box Score — Bullet-point breakdown of moves, stats, and exits.
Locker Room Lore — What insiders are really saying.
Next at Bat — What’s coming, from games to pressers to roster drops.
Morning Stat — One number that tells the story.
Fan’s Choice — Your voice, front and center.
We’re building this for you — the fans who want more than box scores.
👉 Subscriber and Know someone who needs this in their inbox?
Forward this email. Let them know the briefing has evolved — and so has Nats coverage.
🔔 Got this from a fellow fan?
Join thousands of informed fans getting the Morning Briefing every weekday.
👉 Subscribe to The Nats Report + — exclusive access, deep dives, and early alerts.
The rebuild starts now.
And so does your morning..
⚾ Starting Rotation: Building Around the Core
⚾ DUGOUT DISPATCH
The Nationals’ rotation will need to be rebuilt from the ground up in 2026 — no longer relying on stopgaps, but on young arms with upside and strategic free-agent fits.
📊 THE BOX SCORE: Starting Rotation
Projected Core: Josiah Gray — Ace candidate, bounce-back expected after injury-plagued 2025. Cade Cavalli — Emerged as a reliable #2 with 4.25 ERA, 1.22 WHIP in 18 starts. Brad Lord — Breakout season in relief and spot starts; earned full-time rotation spot.
MacKenzie Gore: Health is the question. If he’s not part of the 2026 plan, expect a trade for high-upside return. His 2025 second-half collapse (6.87 ERA post-All-Star break) has raised concerns.
Wildcard Arms: Andry Lara — Electric stuff, but must prove durability. Mitchell Parker — Inconsistent, but has starter pedigree. Andrew Alvarez — Rookie lefty with 95+ mph fastball and wipeout slider; strong debut in September; 2026 spring training dark horse.
Free-Agent Targets: Zach Eflin — Ground-ball machine (55% GB rate), ideal for Nats Park. Sean Newcomb — High-spin lefty, could transition from reliever to back-end starter. Jameson Taillon — Veteran innings-eater, if budget allows.
2026 Rotation Projection (Gore Trade Scenario): Josiah Gray, Cade Cavalli, Brad Lord, Zach Eflin, Sean Newcomb
🔥 THE BOX SCORE: Bullpen
Biggest 2025 Weakness: Free-agent busts, prospect underperformance, trade losses.
Closer Caliber: Jose A. Ferrer — 2.98 ERA, 12 saves, 12.4 K/9 in final 30 games; expected to enter 2026 as primary closer.
Key Holdovers: Cole Henry — Breakout season (3.12 ERA, 1.18 WHIP). Clayton Beeter — High-leverage potential, 97 mph sinker. Jackson Rutledge — Depth arm, could transition to starter.
Free-Agent Targets: Raisel Iglesias — Elite finisher, 2.45 ERA, 34 saves in 2025. Hoby Milner — Lefty specialist, 1.85 ERA vs. LHB. Jakob Junis — Multi-inning weapon, 1.33 WHIP in 2025. Trevor Williams — If healthy, could return as long man, but not guaranteed a spot.
2026 Bullpen Projection: Raisel Iglesias (CLO), Jose A. Ferrer (L), Jakob Junis, Clayton Beeter, Hoby Milner (L), Cole Henry, PJ Poulin (L), Trevor Williams (Long)
🗣️ LOCKER ROOM LORE
This isn’t just about filling spots — it’s about culture change. Toboni’s front office wants pitchers who attack, induce weak contact, and eat innings. The days of patchwork rotations and underperforming free agents are over. 2026 is the foundation year — and the starting staff will reflect the new philosophy.
💬 FAN’S CHOICE
Poll: Should the Nats trade MacKenzie Gore this offseason?
✅ Yes — get value before his stock drops
❌ No — keep the ace if he’s healthy
📅 INSIDE THE PURGE: Toboni Takes the Axe at Nats HQ
⚾ DUGOUT DISPATCH
New boss. New era. Big cuts. Washington’s new baseball chief Paul Toboni wastes no time shaking up everything Mike Rizzo built.
📊 THE BOX SCORE
Mark Scialabba, Assistant GM of Player Development, exits after nearly two decades
Eddie Longosz, Vice President and Assistant GM of Player Development and Administration, also out—he led scouting operations since 2015.
Clubhouse manager Mike Wallace and head athletic trainer Paul Lessard gone, signaling a major reset on and off the field.
🗣️ LOCKER ROOM LORE
This isn’t just about filling spots — it’s about culture change. Toboni’s front office wants pitchers who attack, induce weak contact, and eat innings. The days of patchwork rotations and underperforming free agents are over. 2026 is the foundation year — and the starting staff will reflect the new philosophy.
💬 FAN’S CHOICE
Poll: Should the Nats trade MacKenzie Gore this offseason?
✅ Yes — get value before his stock drops
❌ No — keep the ace if he’s healthy
📺 THE VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT: Watching October From Afar
⚾ DUGOUT DISPATCH
The playoffs are here. The lights. The drama. The walk-offs. And the Nationals? They’re not on the field — they’re on the clock.
While the rest of baseball chases a ring, Washington is left with the same view as last year, and the year before: a front-row seat to October, and a long road back to it.
This isn’t just another losing season — it’s a reality check. The 66–96 record, the fifth straight sub-.450 finish, the midseason firing of Martinez and Rizzo — it all confirms what the standings scream: the Nationals are not close.
But here’s the twist: that’s okay.
Because under Paul Toboni, the goal isn’t to almost make it. It’s to build something that lasts. To stop chasing .500 and start building a pipeline — one that launches in 2027.
Yes, it’s painful to watch the Phillies battle in the NLDS while the Nats sort through free-agent relievers. But this is the price of a true reset — no more bridge years, no more stopgaps, no more hoping a veteran bounce-back solves everything.
The foundation is being laid:
James Wood is a legit star.
CJ Abrams is a dynamic leadoff piece.
Daylen Lile and Dylan Crews are coming.
The 2026 draft class could add another impact arm.
This isn’t hope. It’s process.
And if you’re watching the playoffs wondering when it’ll be our turn again — it’s coming. But not in 2026. Not even close.
The rebuild is real. The timeline is long. But for the first time in years, the direction is clear.
📊 THE BOX SCORE
Record: 66–96, last in NL East, eliminated Sept. 13 — fifth straight sub-.450 season.
Home/Road: 32–49 at Nationals Park, 34–47 on the road — worst home winning percentage (.395) in MLB.
Playoff Gap: 26 games out at elimination — largest in franchise history since 2019.
Bright Spot: James Wood — 31 HR, All-Star, elite Statcast metrics (top 5% in Barrel Rate, Exit Velocity).
Setback: CJ Abrams — .287 AVG but only .320 OBP; Dylan Crews — .196 in 48 games before oblique injury.
Veterans: Nathaniel Lowe DFA’d, Josh Bell (.231, 12 HR) underperformed — signaling end of stopgap era.
🗣️ LOCKER ROOM LORE
Paul Toboni isn’t just changing personnel — he’s changing the entire operating system of the Washington Nationals.
In his first public remarks as President of Baseball Operations, Toboni made one thing clear: this is not a bridge year. It’s not a pivot. It’s a full-scale rebuild from the ground up.
His vision? To build a “scouting and player development monster” — an organization that churns out high-end, cost-controlled talent year after year, the way the Rays, Guardians, and his former team, the Red Sox, have done.
“We need to create a really robust scouting and player-development process and R&D process,” Toboni told ESPN. “The name of the game is graduating high-end, cost-controlled talent to the major leagues. So the more of those guys we can have, the better.”
💬 FAN’S CHOICE
Poll: How do you feel about watching the playoffs from home?
✅ It’s frustrating, but I trust the rebuild
❌ I’m tired of waiting — trade Gore and go all-in on prospects
✅ Just happy to see Wood and Lile coming
❌ This feels like 2019 all over again — and not in a good way
WHAT WE THINK THE NATIONALS FRONT OFFICE IS READING
Speed Reads
📌 Raleigh Tries to Break Its 54-Year Baseball Losing Streak (The Assembly NC)